Cybersecurity with Cloud Computing

As more organizations adopt cloud computing, it’s imperative they keep cybersecurity front-of-mind. Some analysts project that public cloud spend could increase to $500 billion by 2023, with infrastructure as one of its largest categories and industry experts have their eye on security as this market develops. As they do with traditional IT resources, admins should manage and control user access to cloud servers and other cloud infrastructure to ensure only those who need the data have access to it. Through the right directory service, this process can be automated to save time and increase accuracy as new users onboard and existing users access new servers. SSH keys establish secure server connections with public and private key pairs. Organizations should establish key management policies to dictate how those keys are generated, maintained, and ultimately removed when they reach their end of life. MFA requires users to prove who they are with something they know (i.e. a password) and something they have (e.g. a TOTP token). Requiring MFA where possible, including in cloud server access, helps to limit the risk in the case credentials are lost, stolen, or otherwise compromised.